Congressional Hearing on the Ethics of Synthetic Biology

Gregory Karbnick is a researcher scholar at the Hasting Center who studies bioethics. In the following video he gives a brief testimony at the House Committee on Energy and Commerece in 2010. In this testimony he talks about the ethics of the field of Synthetic Biology. He divides the ethical issues into two categories: intrinsic concerns and concerns about potential consequences – and makes a case that regulation and governance of the field should come primarily from the latter category. Watch the video after the break.

The Synthetic Bestiary is a website about Synthetic Biology, Genetic Engineering and the Future. It is a hub of information about these fields and fields related to them. This site aims to inspire as much as it informs, so stick around – you might learn something.

This website was created by Myles O’Neill. The website’s logo includes the artwork ‘Draco Primordialis’ by Kaytara which is used with permission. The views and opinions expressed on this website are soley those of the original authors or interviewees.